Member states of the International Criminal Court (ICC) have voted to dismiss Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan following allegations of s3xual misconduct.
Gatekeepers News reports that a total of 82 of the court’s 125 member states voted in favor of Khan’s removal during a meeting at the United Nations in New York on Friday.
Khan, 56, has denied the allegations and said he will challenge the decision.
His lawyer, Tayab Ali, wrote on X: “Mr Khan will challenge the lawfulness and fairness of the decision through all available legal mechanisms.”
The dismissal comes amid renewed pressure on the ICC after the United States announced plans to intensify diplomatic efforts aimed at weakening the court, which Washington says threatens its sovereignty.
Last month, diplomats overseeing the ICC concluded that the British barrister had engaged in an inappropriate s3xual relationship with a junior ICC lawyer and recommended his dismissal. Member states endorsed that recommendation in Friday’s vote.
Speaking during a visit to the Philippines on Thursday, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio renewed Washington’s criticism of the court, saying there were “lunatics and crazies involved in the ICC” and insisting that no US political or military official would ever stand trial before it.
Although the United States is not a member of the ICC, it has imposed sanctions on 11 ICC judges and prosecutors, including Khan. The sanctions were linked to the court’s arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, as well as a previous investigation into US troops in Afghanistan.
Last week, Khan’s accuser spoke publicly for the first time in an interview with CNN, repeating allegations that the prosecutor had a non-consensual sexual relationship with her.
The vote to dismiss Khan immediately begins the process of electing a new ICC prosecutor, although a successor is not expected to be chosen before next year.
Any existing arrest warrants issued by the ICC will remain in force, as only the court’s judges have the authority to withdraw them.
